5 transfers who would be good fit for Louisville basketball
By Jacob Lane
Jordan Bruner – Combo forward
Yale, RS junior
2019-20 stats: 10.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.7 blocks
It goes without saying that finding talented players to fill the open roster spots left behind by six departing upperclassmen will be crucial. But just as important as it will be for Chris Mack and his staff to find players who can play at an elite level will be players who fit the needs and roles that are open heading into 2020-21.
For the first time since Mack took over as head coach, the Louisville basketball roster will see mass turnover. The Cards will return just three players who played more than 15 minutes per game while introducing
Louisville will return just three players who played more than 15 minutes per game, all of whom will be counted on to take massive leaps in production as they take on more minutes. Mack will also have to integrate three others who played four minutes or less into new, prominent roles and another who sat out as a redshirt. There will also be the new JUCO transfer (assuming he doesn’t head off to the NBA) who will step into a starring role from day one and two others who will be more developmental projects.
With all that considered, it’ll make recruiting the right players for the right roles important. That’s why Jordan Bruner is a great fit for the Cards and should be amongst the top of their list this offseason.
A lot of hype has surrounded high-profile transfers from the Ivy League, including Seth Towns (who I wrote about a few months ago), Bryce Aiken, Mike Smith, and Patrick Tape, all of whom will end up with big-name programs with big roles.
Flying under the radar has been forward/big man, Jordan Bruner of Yale. The 6’8 forward averaged 10.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game in 2019-20 for Ivy League Champions, Yale. Bruner served as the “do-it-all” guy for Yale during his three-year career and was a huge part of their run to the NCAA Tournament in 2018-19.
Bruner is known for his ability to play mostly around the rim, shooting 48 percent from the field on his career, but he’s developed into a stretch four who can be dangerous in big or small lineups. As a junior Bruner connected on a career-best 32 percent of his three-pointers, adding a new dimension to his game as well as to his team who looked poised for another tournament run.
After finishing Second-Team All-Ivy League Bruner has decided that he will spend his final season playing elsewhere if he doesn’t go pro. He’s already heard from a ton of schools, none of which happen to be Louisville, and will be a hot commodity over the coming weeks for elite programs.
There’s no doubt if Bruner were to come to Louisville he could instantly win the starting spot at the four positions, where he’d be a great fit with Malik Williams. But projecting out what his role would look like, he’d more than likely be a guy that Mack count on for 20-25 minutes a night with double-double potential, but by no means could be the star or primary scoring option for next season.
The bottom line is Louisville needs a more-than-serviceable player, not a star at the four position. With Withers, Slazinski, and JJ Traynor on the roster all competing for minutes, a player who isn’t afraid to split minutes and fit into a role rather than trying to be a star piece is what’s needed and Jordan Bruner does that at a very high level. You might think those reasons make him more likely to look elsewhere, which makes sense, but considering what we saw from the freshmen this season they’re likely going to need more time to develop; thus making Bruner a bigger focal point in the short-term.
He would bring the type of motor and effort Mack is looking for a nightly basis on both ends of the floor while being able to score as needed from both inside and outside. Developing young guys will be the primary focus for Mack at the four spot, but adding a player who is capable of being your third or fourth-best player on any given night is what you’d get from Bruner.